Writing Prompts

Make Writing A Habit

How To Format
Business and Personal Letters

In my opinion, one of the most unprofessional things that one can do is to send a poorly formatted letter. Doing such a thing is an instant credibility destroyer. Even if your letter is perfectly worded and devoid of grammatical and spelling errors; sending it out in a sloppy unprofessional format will always reflect badly on the sender.

That said; are you aware that there is NO single international standard for formatting the three main groups of letters used in day-to-day life: business letters, business memos, and personal letters?

That’s right! I’ve done extensive research into this subject and there is no SINGLE international standard for formatting the layout of letters and formats.

In fact, among the most sought-after info that visitors are looking for when they come to my Writing Help Central website is how-to properly format letters. In addition, I often receive e-mails from people asking such questions as:

  • What should I include in a signature block?
  • Where do I place the signature block?
  • How do I indicate attached documents?
  • Where do I position the address block(s)?
  • etc., etc…

As I stated above, there is NO ONE international standard for formatting letters.

If you spend some time searching through textbooks at your library or bookstore, or checking out some online info sources you will come across many different ideas about what a properly formatted letter should look like; some reasonable and some questionable. In fact, you will find so many different formatting suggestions that you won’t know where to start.

I encountered this same multiple-choice conundrum a few years ago when I was conducting the research for my two general letter-writing toolkits; Instant Letter Writing Kit and Instant Business Letter Kit. So, what I did to sort things out was to review all of the reasonable letter layouts that I could find, and then I assessed them based on two main criteria: 1) most appealing overall appearance and, 2) most effective visual presentation impact.

What I arrived at in the end were three (3) distinct layout formats as follows:

  1. Business letters – Full-block format
  2. Business Memos – Full-block memo format
  3. Personal letters – Semi-block (modified) format

You Too Can Write A “How-To” Book


Are you aware that “how-to” books are among the “easiest” books to write? Yes, that’s right, they really are! After all, how hard can it be to write about something you already know really well, something that you are passionate about? Heck, you may not even need to do any research! What other kind of author has that luxury?

As I say in my ebook on the subject, I am a firm believer that 99% of people who have specific knowledge of ANY subject, coupled with a passion to share that knowledge with others, are natural how-to authors.

In fact, as I state in the Introduction to my book…

“If you can organize your thoughts enough to explain something to someone, and then write that down in simple step-by-step terms, you too can be a how-to author.”

That’s right. How-to books can be written by anyone who is capable of writing down what they are “speaking” as they explain to someone all about something that is near and dear to their heart.

It really is that simple. And the beauty of writing how-to books is that you already have the knowledge inside of you!

Most how-to books are written by “experts” in a particular subject. The cool part about this is that each and every one of us is an expert in some, or many areas! And that includes you!

Yes, YOU ARE An Expert…
Really, you are! You possess a unique combination of knowledge and valuable life experience that no one else on this planet possesses. In fact, you are the only one truly qualified to write about your knowledge and experience from your own unique perspective.

And that last phrase – “from your own unique perspective” – is a very important one. It’s important because “how-to” books are all about people sharing their individual unique take on something. And it really doesn’t matter what that something is.

Think about it. What are your big interests and/or activities in life? What’s your favorite hobby, or your preferred sport or leisure activity. What do you excel in at the office? What books and magazines do you seek out? What subjects are guaranteed to grab your attention in any situation, or when depicted in the media? What are you good at – at work and/or at play? On what subjects do friends, family members, and co-workers constantly seek your advice and/or expertise? Do you have valuable life experience to bring to the table?

Now that you’ve thought about it, I bet you’re beginning to realize that you are indeed an “expert” on numerous subjects – aren’t you? Seriously, whether you’re an avid gardener, a fanatical sports fan, an obsessed collector of “stuff”, a jazz pianist, a weekend carpenter, or a card maker; it doesn’t matter what your subject. YOU ARE AN EXPERT at those things that you love and are good at doing.

VLE Does Count!
Whatever you do, make sure you don’t discount your own personal “valuable life experience”. In fact, VLE is the basis for almost All self-help books. After all, what are self-help books except “how-to” books about how to live life. And in these days of Oprah, Dr. Phil, Chicken Soup Books, and Reality TV, I don’t have to tell you how marketable VLE is!

In fact, it was Oprah who said you can “Turn your wounds into words”.

Don’t Underestimate Yourself…
Remember, YOU DO NOT have to be the world’s foremost authority on your particular subject(s). As long as you have a keen interest in your topic and have acquired an above average knowledge of it, you are in a position to write about it from your own unique perspective.

Believe me, there are thousands of people out there ready and waiting to hear from people just like you who offer new knowledge and fresh perspectives on your shared special area of interest.

All you need to be able to do is write down what would naturally come out of your mouth if you were explaining your favorite subject to a friend, colleague, or family member.

Bottom line? Don’t sell yourself short.

A few years ago I didn’t even know what a “how-to book” was. Now I’ve written 15 of them. Really!

I’m willing to bet that you too have more “how-to” books in you than you ever imagined.

Financial Hardship Letters
How To Write Them

My research into what type of writing help people are seeking online has revealed that there has been a big upsurge in recent years of people looking for help and information for something called “financial hardship letters”.

Prior to that, these types of letters were hardly on my radar screen. I believe that the increase in demand for these types of letters is directly attributable to the mortgage insolvency crisis in the USA in the early 2000s and some of the spin-off effects as they affected the financial situation of many individuals.

A financial hardship letter is one that is written to a creditor explaining the financial trouble that you are in and requesting that the addressee provide you with some sort of specific remedy, depending on the exact situation involved.

There are many different situations that can warrant a financial hardship letter. The two most common situations these days are:

1.) to request that your mortgage holder let you “short sale” your house;

2.) request to your bank or credit card company to consolidate or restructure your debt.

Other typical financial hardship letters include: requests to a college or university to reduce their admission fees due to special circumstances, appeals to a hospital or medical care provider to reduce their billings for compassionate reasons, or, a request to an insurance company to cover the costs of an unusual medical procedure or treatment, and others.

6 Tips For Writing Financial Hardship Letters

Regardless of the specific situation, ther are a few important guidelines that you should follow if you want to draft a financial hardship letter that will be taken seriously:

  1. Keep It Brief
    Keep your letter short and to the point. Try not to exceed one page. A long, wandering letter will water down the essence of your case and will lose the reader.

  2. Personalize It
    Make sure that you personalize your letter as much as possible by including details about you and your family that will get the reader to identify with your situation as a fellow human being.

  3. State Problem Clearly
    Early in your letter, summarize the specific situation that has prompted you to write the letter. Provide more details in the later paragraphs.

  4. Give Sufficient Information
    Your letter should provide enough detailed financial and related information so that the reader can easily understand your situation. Attach clarifying documents as necessary including: cash flow statements, bank statements, income tax statements, invoices, letters, etc.

  5. Ask Directly
    In the subject-line and the first paragraph of your hardship letter, state exactly what you are requesting. Reiterate this request in slightly different words at the conclusion of the letter.

  6. Be Appreciative
    To reach the point where you have to write a financial hardship letter means that you are in deep financial trouble and this is basically your last resort. Don’t get into any blame games or side issues. Be respectful and thank the addressee in advance for considering your situation. Humble and thankful is good.

To see a number of real-life financial hardship letters click on the following link:
http://www.writinghelp-central.com/write-hardship-letter.html

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